'white leaf' in Sabals and Palmetto wevils! HELP!

[FRITO]

History:

My large Sabal 'lisas' took a turn for the worst the last couple months. at first I was in shock as it was sudden and the spears turn 'white' and pale and dried out looking and soon pulled from the bud. these were still in pots and very rootbound and figured that was the problem.

but I have 2 in thr ground planted last June, almost a year ago, they have looked fine but one of them about 3 weeks ago had spear pull after the center spear turned white and pulled out. I treated with daconil, gave it a smal dose of Osmocote ferilizer. I then marked the other spears still inside with a sharpie.. it has not moved! its is slowly declining and not growing.

the other in the ground had some scale on the emerging spear and didnt start moving until recently, it moving really slow however and hasnt had spear pull.

reading on Floridadata, Jack interviewed Paul the Palm doctor as Jack had 'white leaf' symtom on his Sabal domengensis. Paul said : the sudden appearance of a whitened and dying leaf in Sabal palms is caused by palm weevil infestation. It can sometimes be treated with liquid Sevin® applied directly to the bud with a 40-60% success rate.

These palms were sourced from South West florida last year where palm infestations are common.

question: do I have wevil infestation? I havnt seen any! they seemed to grow fine last summer and fall, no cold damage this winter, then started 1 by 1 taking a toll for the worse as spring arrived.

Ive treated with hydrogen peroxide in the buds and daconil 2 -3 weeks apart.

Edited May 28, 2009 by FRITO

[FRITO]

photos of the in ground Sabal on 4-30-09 (spear pulled and growth of second spear has been stalled since)

[Ken Johnson]

If there are grubs inside you will hear them eating if you put your ear to a petiole!

[BS Man about Palms]

If there are grubs inside you will hear them eating if you put your ear to a petiole!

Eeeeewwww.

[PalmatierMeg]

Have you treated them with the Bayers soil drench (can't recall the precise name)? That should be absorbed throughout the palm (in time) and kill off the munchers from within.

[FRITO]

im not seeing or hearing any signs of wevils in any of my palms.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Hi, Frito:

My advice to Jack Scheper at Floridata works pretty well, but Bayer's Tree & Shrub Insect Killer is even better because it's a systemic insecticide. It's packed in a blue plastic jug and the ingredient on the label is Imidclotripid (or Merit.) The product is NOT inexpensive but IS effective, Frito. (About $19.99 a bottle)

Two or three soil drenches should be sufficient.

Best regards,

Paul

[FRITO]

Paul and Meg

thanks for the response and expertise. I had the pleasure to meet with Jack and tour is palm garden, he lives only about 25 minutes from me. Hes a real nice guy and saw the sabals he is growing.

I will try your Bayer tree and shub insectiside soil drench. I would hate too lose another one of these palms!

Paul, does the pictures I posted show 'white leaf' , do you think its a insect problem?